Just like the "obvious" adjectives, articles (a, an, the) modify nouns to tell us:
Which one?
How many?
What kind?
How many?
What kind?
Articles come in handy when one needs to use 4 adjectives in a sentence too!
Rockin' Grammar (and Latin)!
3rd graders headed back to "Grammarland" this week! Nouns and pronouns were reviewed, with a little polishing up of our capitalization thinking, before we moved on to adjectives! Throughout our work, we visit using correct punctuation as well. The Grammar Island curriculum we use defines adjectives as modifying nouns, instead of describing nouns.
Here's what we tried out today to understand the difference:
We'll be moving through our grammar study at a fairly quick pace. How can you help your third grader? Your child's agenda book now indicates that by next Tuesday, April 19th, 3rd graders should highlight the adjectives used in the the lyrics to the Schoolhouse Rock song, Unpack Your Adjectives. Please remind them to include adjectives that modify pronouns! Ms. Schrank introduced the Latin stem "ben-" and gave kids a tree to complete with words using the "ben" stem. (If your child has an additional item listed, they need to complete the sheet on run-ons and types of nouns that was due before spring break).
I posted the Schoolhouse Rock videos for A Noun Is a Person, Place or Thing, Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla (Pronouns), and Unpack Your Adjectives on their Google Classroom. I've included the links here, so you can enjoy the fun!
Here's what we tried out today to understand the difference:
- Picture a tree.
- Now picture a green tree.
- Visualize a green, pine tree.
- Imagine a short, green, pine tree.
- Lastly, conjure a bare, short, green, pine tree.
We'll be moving through our grammar study at a fairly quick pace. How can you help your third grader? Your child's agenda book now indicates that by next Tuesday, April 19th, 3rd graders should highlight the adjectives used in the the lyrics to the Schoolhouse Rock song, Unpack Your Adjectives. Please remind them to include adjectives that modify pronouns! Ms. Schrank introduced the Latin stem "ben-" and gave kids a tree to complete with words using the "ben" stem. (If your child has an additional item listed, they need to complete the sheet on run-ons and types of nouns that was due before spring break).
I posted the Schoolhouse Rock videos for A Noun Is a Person, Place or Thing, Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla (Pronouns), and Unpack Your Adjectives on their Google Classroom. I've included the links here, so you can enjoy the fun!
Growing As Writers As We Capture A Characters Main Traits
Today, 3rd graders thought about whether their role play writing demonstrated they were making progress towards their writing goal. Please check with your child on what they think and what they still need to focus in on to meet their goal.
We met Filbert the Beaver and The Run-On today as well! Both are fictional characters that embody vary different characteristics. As you'll read on the trading cards below, each has identifying traits that would remind us all how we can grow as learners and writers.
By next Tuesday, your kiddo should practice defeating The Run-On and writing complete sentences on their Character Trading Cards Planning Sheet. The character they will create a trading card for is the main character in the myth they chose to read last Thursday. Students repeated after me, that they will "Write a complete sentence, or complete sentences, for each response on their sheet."
We met Filbert the Beaver and The Run-On today as well! Both are fictional characters that embody vary different characteristics. As you'll read on the trading cards below, each has identifying traits that would remind us all how we can grow as learners and writers.
By next Tuesday, your kiddo should practice defeating The Run-On and writing complete sentences on their Character Trading Cards Planning Sheet. The character they will create a trading card for is the main character in the myth they chose to read last Thursday. Students repeated after me, that they will "Write a complete sentence, or complete sentences, for each response on their sheet."
Is Pandora Fully to Blame?
Today, third graders independently crafted two sentences with opposing viewpoints of Pandora. Here's a sampling:
Last Thursday, teams wrote the following opposing sentences about Zeus and Prometheus:
Prometheus seemed to have won the favor of the 3rd graders over Zeus. Where will their favor fall when considering Pandora? By Thursday, third graders should have read the role play sheet I gave them today. I asked them to be ready to discuss which Greek characters they think are portrayed in the role play. They should also consider how they would act out each of the possible roles.
- Pandora is cruel because she let the spites into the world of the living.
- Pandora is a very curious character because she couldn’t help it to open the box.
- She was also very eager because she keeps going back to that box wanting to know what is inside if it.
- Pandora is disrespectful because she opened the box that Hermes gave her.
Last Thursday, teams wrote the following opposing sentences about Zeus and Prometheus:
- Zeus is greedy because he wants all the fire for himself.
- Zeus is powerful because he is the king of gods.
- Zeus was selfish because he didn't care about mankind or other gods.
- Prometheus is kind because he gave the gift of fire to man.
- Prometheus was brave because he stole fire after Zeus said no no.
- Prometheus was courageous because he sacrificed himself to give fire to the mortals.
Prometheus seemed to have won the favor of the 3rd graders over Zeus. Where will their favor fall when considering Pandora? By Thursday, third graders should have read the role play sheet I gave them today. I asked them to be ready to discuss which Greek characters they think are portrayed in the role play. They should also consider how they would act out each of the possible roles.
Which Team Will Climb the
Highest Learning Hill?
Today each English Quest team examined two examples of student work that earned top scores. Each team was tasked with creating a list of qualities each piece demonstrated. Here's what they determined this high level work showed.
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Your kiddo has a Quest Google Classroom! Students will use their classroom site to find information, complete assignments and develop ideas with their third grade community. These classrooms are available for kids to access anywhere they can get onto the internet! How do they get there?
- The easiest place to start is the Venable home page (http://charlottesvilleschools.org/venable/). You'll see a list of 'Quicklinks' on the left-hand side of the page.
- Your 3rd grader will want to click on Google Student Login.
- Next, they should use their CCS Google login and password (the same ones they use on Venable Chromebooks at school this year). This will take them to their Google Drive page.
- The top right hand corner displays a 3 x 3 array next to their name. By clicking on that array, you'll see a variety of Google apps.
- They may have to click on the word More in order to see the Classroom icon.
- Once they click on Google Classroom, they'll be taken to their Classroom homepage with the different classes they are "enrolled" in.
- Once they've joined the class, your student will see a list of assignments on the Stream. The assignment will tell the student if they need to post a comment, create a Google doc or do another activity to complete the assignment. Pretty groovy, huh?!
Comprehension Growth!
As mythology teams discussed the basic story elements shared by each version of the myth they read, I heard a "bump up" in the kids' overall level of comprehension. Thank you families for joining in our literacy quest!
By next Tuesday, each third grader has been tasked with rewriting the ending of Orpheus' tale. As you help them think about the task, here are some pointers:
Thank you for all the support you provide your kiddo in organizing their materials and their thinking!
By next Tuesday, each third grader has been tasked with rewriting the ending of Orpheus' tale. As you help them think about the task, here are some pointers:
- Each kiddo should rewrite the ending of the version of Orpheus they read.
- They are using the same tripod organizer to note their ideas. (They should write notes, not complete sentences).
- The main idea for their new ending should appear on the seat.
- A detail that leads to this new ending idea should appear on each leg.
- Yes, they should have 3 details noted.
- These ideas should appear in complete, organized sentences on a sheet of loose leaf paper.
- Writers should refer to the rubric, on their homework paper, to check and improve their work.
- Please help your child edit their capitalization, spelling and punctuation! The goal is for the kids to become stronger at doing this, but they've all demonstrated the need for support.
- I will collect both the organizer and their final writing.
- The rubric on their homework paper will be what I use to score their work.
Thank you for all the support you provide your kiddo in organizing their materials and their thinking!
New Latin Homework Policy
- Students will have one week to make-up any Latin work. Late work will not be accepted after a week.
Improving How We Demonstrate Comprehension of a Greek Myth
To help kids organize their thinking about the main idea of a myth, we tried out the Main Idea Stool on Tuesday. A stool with three solid legs (or pieces of evidence from the text) is solid (as is the main idea)! Without three strong details, the stool won't hold up!
As you talk through the Daedalus and Icarus myth, you can use this model to see how solid ideas are! We'll continue to work with this main idea organizer as we develop thinking on the upcoming myths.
Kiddos will be bringing home their initial individual task work in their Thursday folders, so you can take a looksie. I see the potential for a lot of growth!
3rd grade teams checked out their scores from the Heracles and Atalanta team and individual tasks this week. The tasks for the myth on Heracles' labors were:
Students went back to one Heraclean task to demonstrate a deeper level of understanding for their homework on Tuesday. As many students did not complete the assigned reading of Echo and Narcissus for Tuesday, the groups voted to return to that tale before they worked on the tasks team. Their agenda books also noted that they should complete the Mystery Question and Answer sheet for the Latin stem pend-.
Today, 3rd graders were given the myth of 'Icarus and Daedalus' to read by Tuesday. Try to read the myth yourself and talk it over with your kiddo. Their comprehension and understanding of the myth will grow with added conversation!
- Write a sentence and draw a picture describing the 12 labors of Heracles in the proper time sequence (team task).
- Describe an imagined 13th labor for Heracles in words and an illustratration (individual task).
- words to express the main idea of why Heracles' task was challenging (the main idea)
- pictures to demonstrate knowledge of the story (important details that show comprehension)
Students went back to one Heraclean task to demonstrate a deeper level of understanding for their homework on Tuesday. As many students did not complete the assigned reading of Echo and Narcissus for Tuesday, the groups voted to return to that tale before they worked on the tasks team. Their agenda books also noted that they should complete the Mystery Question and Answer sheet for the Latin stem pend-.
Today, 3rd graders were given the myth of 'Icarus and Daedalus' to read by Tuesday. Try to read the myth yourself and talk it over with your kiddo. Their comprehension and understanding of the myth will grow with added conversation!
Odyssey:
A 3rd Grade English Quest Journey into Greek Mythology
This week, third graders were introduced to our new interactive study of Greek mythology. In their red folders, you'll find their Odyssey Student Guide that provides an overview of our journey. Students will read specific Greek myths, outside of the Quest room. During our 45-minute QE classes each week, these readers will complete exercises, with a team as well as individually, based on the last myth they read.
Each exercise helps them explore:
How can you help your 3rd grader?
1. Check over their agenda book with them each night for assignments.
(a routine they'll need throughout the rest of their school life)
2. Create a list of materials they need to take to school each day (i.e. red Quest folder, agenda book, etc.) and make sure everything they need is in their backpack each night before they go to bed.
(This is another great routine they'll need throughout the rest of their school life).
Each exercise helps them explore:
- Greek culture and history through it's mythology
- literary elements
- creativity
- problem solving
- cooperative learning skills
How can you help your 3rd grader?
1. Check over their agenda book with them each night for assignments.
(a routine they'll need throughout the rest of their school life)
2. Create a list of materials they need to take to school each day (i.e. red Quest folder, agenda book, etc.) and make sure everything they need is in their backpack each night before they go to bed.
(This is another great routine they'll need throughout the rest of their school life).
Exploring Latin Stems, Parts of Speech
and Jacqueline Woodson's Poetry
3rd grade English Quest kiddos have started exploring grammar and the 8 parts of speech. So far, we've examined nouns (both common and proper) as well as pronouns.
The Latin stems tri, bi, uni, ex and ped have been applied by your 3rd grader in Mystery Questions and Answers. What are Mystery Questions and Answers?
The Latin stems tri, bi, uni, ex and ped have been applied by your 3rd grader in Mystery Questions and Answers. What are Mystery Questions and Answers?
Mystery Question: If you use an exlamation point is that word like the others?
Mystery Answer: No, because ex- means out and you are bringing the word out.
Mystery Answer: No, because ex- means out and you are bringing the word out.
Back in October, I had the honor of hearing Jacqueline Woodson speak at the Virginia Children's Book Festival. 3rd graders read this award-winning author, and the Young People's Poet Laureate, when we were drafting our Writer's Eye pieces.
Students began a discussion about the poem, Gifted, from her autobiography, Brown Girl Dreaming this week. Gifted has many ideas we can all unpack. Perhaps it will prompt some conversation over the winter break.
Students began a discussion about the poem, Gifted, from her autobiography, Brown Girl Dreaming this week. Gifted has many ideas we can all unpack. Perhaps it will prompt some conversation over the winter break.
Listening Over Thanksgiving
Third graders read the article, Sharing turkey and life stories at the Thanksgiving table, about the StoryCorps Project (https://storycorps.org/blog/storycorps-and-google/) today. We listened to the interview with Kay Wang entitled, 'I wasn't very nice." You'll want to preview the StoryCorps interviews before you share them, but there are some really great histories to listen to on their site.
Thanksgiving provides us with many opportunities to listen to those we love and hear many great stories about our histories. Perhaps your family will add to the StoryCorps Project's Great Thanksgiving Listen!
Enjoy the break.
Thanksgiving provides us with many opportunities to listen to those we love and hear many great stories about our histories. Perhaps your family will add to the StoryCorps Project's Great Thanksgiving Listen!
Enjoy the break.
On Friday, all 32 Writer's Eye entries from Venable Elementary were delivered!
Huzzah to all the writers for their hard work! The kiddos who entered should, and I believe do, feel quite proud of their pieces. Some kiddos have opted to finish their writing by the second week in December for consideration in The Unfinished Jigsaw. If your kiddo is one, you'll find some goal dates written in their agenda book.
All writers can consider entering their work for consideration in The Unfinished Jigsaw in the spring. If they have multiple piecess of writing, they'll have the opportunity to choose their best to enter.
Poets have been thinking about entering their work in the Bus Lines Poetry Contest by the November 30th deadline. This year's contest is for poetry in the following categories: Limerick, Acrostic, Tanka, Ghazal or Doublet. Your child can try their hand at one of these styles, if their Writer's Eye piece was free verse.
Limericks - a humorous poem five lines long in which the first, second, and fifth lines have one rhyme and the third and fourth another. Sample Link 1Sample Link 2
Acrostics - a composition usually in verse in which sets of letters (as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet. For this contest, there is a ten line limit.Sample Link 3 Sample Link 4
Tanka - an unrhymed Japanese verse form of five lines containing five, seven, five, seven, and seven syllables respectively. Typically, the first three lines are an observation while the last two respond to that observation. Sample Link 5 Sample Link 6Ghazal - a poem with five couplets where the last line of each couplet rhymes with the first couplet (aa-ba-ca-da-ea). The last couplet contains the poet’s name in either an obvious or hidden form.
Doublet - a list of words where only one letter changes at a time. The words are then stacked and a poem is written around the ladder. Sample 8 Sample Worksheet(pg. 10 - answers on pg. 27)
I'm happy to submit entries, with a completed entry form for the Bus Lines Poetry Contest, by this Tuesday, November 24th. (Click on this link http://charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=34171 for the entry form or look for your child to bring it home on Monday).
Huzzah to all the writers for their hard work! The kiddos who entered should, and I believe do, feel quite proud of their pieces. Some kiddos have opted to finish their writing by the second week in December for consideration in The Unfinished Jigsaw. If your kiddo is one, you'll find some goal dates written in their agenda book.
All writers can consider entering their work for consideration in The Unfinished Jigsaw in the spring. If they have multiple piecess of writing, they'll have the opportunity to choose their best to enter.
Poets have been thinking about entering their work in the Bus Lines Poetry Contest by the November 30th deadline. This year's contest is for poetry in the following categories: Limerick, Acrostic, Tanka, Ghazal or Doublet. Your child can try their hand at one of these styles, if their Writer's Eye piece was free verse.
Limericks - a humorous poem five lines long in which the first, second, and fifth lines have one rhyme and the third and fourth another. Sample Link 1Sample Link 2
Acrostics - a composition usually in verse in which sets of letters (as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet. For this contest, there is a ten line limit.Sample Link 3 Sample Link 4
Tanka - an unrhymed Japanese verse form of five lines containing five, seven, five, seven, and seven syllables respectively. Typically, the first three lines are an observation while the last two respond to that observation. Sample Link 5 Sample Link 6Ghazal - a poem with five couplets where the last line of each couplet rhymes with the first couplet (aa-ba-ca-da-ea). The last couplet contains the poet’s name in either an obvious or hidden form.
Doublet - a list of words where only one letter changes at a time. The words are then stacked and a poem is written around the ladder. Sample 8 Sample Worksheet(pg. 10 - answers on pg. 27)
I'm happy to submit entries, with a completed entry form for the Bus Lines Poetry Contest, by this Tuesday, November 24th. (Click on this link http://charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=34171 for the entry form or look for your child to bring it home on Monday).
Our Writer's Eye Deadline Is Approaching...
Our final day to submit Writer's Eye entries is even closer than we planned. But, the majority of your kiddos can develop a solid entry by next week's deadline.
In order to do so, they will need to complete work at home. What can you do to help them reach their goal? The best things their parents can provide are time in their schedules to write and quiet places to focus.
By tomorrow, your third grader should:
In order to do so, they will need to complete work at home. What can you do to help them reach their goal? The best things their parents can provide are time in their schedules to write and quiet places to focus.
By tomorrow, your third grader should:
- Highlight all the details/ideas/thoughts that connect to their 'big idea' throughout their writing (this includes the Lit Web and brainstorming pages). Their 'big idea' for their poem or story is circled on their Lit Web.
- Write a draft poem or story based on their highlighted ideas/details/thoughts!
Exploring the Fralin Museum's Writer's Eye Past & Present
In the Quest room, third grade English students will work with me as well as Beth Schrank, Venable's librarian to grow as readers, writers and thinkers this year. We began our adventure by writing about and discussing Carl Sandburg's Fog as well as learning the Latin roots uni-, bi-, and tri-.
In September, every Venable third grader visited UVA's Fralin Museum to see works of art selected for the Writer's Eye literary competition. The kids have continued to explore the art work they'll develop writing around as well as last year's third - fifth grade award winning Writer's Eye pieces (the kids access these documents in their English Quest Google Classroom, but I've also included them below). We've discussed how these writing pieces demonstrate time, thought and hard work!
Venable students' final pieces of poetry or prose will be submitted in the 3rd - 5th grade category in November. Your kiddo will spend time drafting, revising and editing their work in the Quest room.
To help your writer feel inspired and enthusiastic about working hard on a piece their feel proud on entering in the contest, you can visit The Fralin! It's open Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. It's worth the trip!!!
In September, every Venable third grader visited UVA's Fralin Museum to see works of art selected for the Writer's Eye literary competition. The kids have continued to explore the art work they'll develop writing around as well as last year's third - fifth grade award winning Writer's Eye pieces (the kids access these documents in their English Quest Google Classroom, but I've also included them below). We've discussed how these writing pieces demonstrate time, thought and hard work!
Venable students' final pieces of poetry or prose will be submitted in the 3rd - 5th grade category in November. Your kiddo will spend time drafting, revising and editing their work in the Quest room.
To help your writer feel inspired and enthusiastic about working hard on a piece their feel proud on entering in the contest, you can visit The Fralin! It's open Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. It's worth the trip!!!
writer’s_eye___work_by_2014_award_winners_.gslides | |
File Size: | 0 kb |
File Type: | gslides |
Third Graders Expand Their Learning in Quest Google Classrooms!
Your kiddo has a Quest Google Classroom! Students will use their classroom site to find information, complete assignments and develop ideas with their third grade community. These classrooms are available for kids to access anywhere they can get onto the internet! How do they get there?
- The easiest place to start is the Venable home page (http://charlottesvilleschools.org/venable/). You'll see a list of 'Quicklinks' on the left-hand side of the page.
- Your 3rd grader will want to click on Google Student Login.
- Next, they should use their CCS Google login and password (the same ones they use on Venable Chromebooks at school this year). This will take them to their Google Drive page.
- The top right hand corner displays a 3 x 3 array next to their name. By clicking on that array, you'll see a variety of Google apps.
- They may have to click on the word More in order to see the Classroom icon.
- Once they click on Google Classroom, they'll be taken to their Classroom homepage with the different classes they are "enrolled" in.
- Once they've joined the class, your student will see a list of assignments on the Stream. The assignment will tell the student if they need to post a comment, create a Google doc or do another activity to complete the assignment. Pretty groovy, huh?!